Development and employment in NCR, home to eight crore people, must be balanced with the need for clean air, says Central pollution panel official The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) member secretary talks about the shift of focus from farm fires to the transport sector and says the panel does not want to set air pollution targets, in an interview with The Hindu. Edited excerpts:

How do you assess anti-air pollution efforts this winter season?

Actions taken by the commission and other stakeholders have brought positive changes that are evident. One of the biggest changes has been in the practice of stubble burning. The number of farm fires has declined. We have not seen many days with AQI (air quality index) beyond 450. That gives us positive signals.

What do you think worked?

We conducted numerous inspections of industrial facilities and construction sites. We also acted against industries in non-conforming areas that were violating norms.

What is the target for reducing air pollution?

Over the next five years, we can work hard to achieve a significant reduction. But we don’t want to spell out a specific target.

Why has the issue not been solved despite two SC-monitored panels – the CAQM, constituted in 2020, and its predecessor, founded in 1998 – working on it?

Eight crore people live in the NCR, which is more than the population of many countries. We must strive for a fine balance between concerns such as development and employment, and the need to keep the air clean. Gains were made over the years, but some of those were offset by the spike in population and vehicles.

What are the main challenges in reducing pollution?

Ensuring a concerted effort involving every stakeholder, from the person who sweeps the road to the most senior bureaucrat. It is a humongous effort. Data suggest a trend of reduction in pollution. But we are not claiming it as a victory. It is an encouraging trend that shows reducing air pollution is possible.

Initially, there was a lot of focus on stubble burning, less on the transport sector. Will that change now?

There has already been a shift of focus on transport. That’s why we’re talking about the public transportation system and controlling vehicular pollution. Other focus areas are road dust and industries.

In 2024, the SC criticised the CAQM for not taking action against officials who failed to ensure adherence to norms. Has the panel taken action against any official since?

We have issued show-cause notices (to officials). Further action was not required in most cases, as whenever we issued show-cause notices, remedial measures were undertaken swiftly.

The CAQM said 2025 was the cleanest year in Delhi in eight years, except for 2020. However, there are allegations of ‘data manipulation’ at air quality measuring stations by spraying water near the sensors.

We receive daily AQI data from the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). The CPCB and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee maintain the air quality monitoring stations in Delhi. They can better explain the functioning of these stations.

A question has been raised about the reliability of claims of reduction in stubble burning, with reported instances of it being carried out in ways that evade satellites. As per official data, burnt areas increased in Punjab and Haryana in 2023 and again in 2024 in Punjab.

We don’t rely only on stubble burning data. Data on burnt areas also show a reduction in Punjab and Haryana. I’m not going into specific data. Yes, the reduction in ‘burnt area’ is not as significant as the ‘fire counts’, which indicates that there have been evasions [by farmers]. But there is regular feedback from our ground teams about a decrease in stubble burning. Moreover, the amount of stubble used for other activities rather than being set afire is also increasing. A lot of the stubble being burnt right now is only partially burnt, with the remainder used for other purposes.